Frequently asked questions about renewing your health plan

To cover the costs of our members’ health care claims. As the economy has improved, our members have been going to the doctor more. We’ve seen more demand for health care services, like surgeries, preventive care, emergency room visits and doctor’s office visits in the past year. Rates were adjusted to cover those costs.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is a nonprofit company. We use the money we collect from you to pay for your health care. Approximately 90 cents of every health care dollar we get from members pays for our members’ health care costs. That means administrative costs are less than 10 cents of every dollar. That’s one of the lowest levels in the country.

You have the option to stick with your current plan and its new rate, or you can switch to a plan that may be a better fit for you — like one with a lower monthly rate. Talk to your agent for help. Or check out our rate calculator tool. Watch a short video on how to use the rate calculator.

Use our rate calculator to see other health plan options available to you. Watch a short video on how to use the rate calculator.

You can also talk to your agent. Don’t have an agent? Find an agent.

Or talk to a Blue Cross representative by email or phone.

Some choices that can lower your monthly rate:

• Choose our Blue Performance Regional or Blue Performance Enhanced network.
  
• Choose a higher deductible
  
• Choose a higher coinsurance
  
• Choose not to have mental health/substance abuse coverage

There are two things you should be aware of before you consider changing your health plan:

1. Benefits for substance abuse and mental health coverage have changed: If your current Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota health plan excludes substance abuse coverage and you change to a new Blue Cross health plan, you will lose your coverage for mental health — and continue to not have substance abuse coverage — because mental health and substance abuse coverage are now linked. If you want mental health and substance abuse coverage on your new health plan, you will have to fill out a health history and go through underwriting.

If you are in a Blue Cross health plan that currently covers substance abuse and you apply for a new Blue Cross health plan, you will continue to have coverage for substance abuse and mental health.

Mental health coverage includes any treatment for attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), eating disorders, dementia and antidepressant and antianxiety medications.

2. If you have a grandfathered health plan and you choose to select a new health plan, you will not ever be able to return to your grandfathered plan. Grandfathered plans are no longer available to purchase.

Talk to your agent for help. Don’t have an agent? Find an agent. Or use our rate calculator.   Watch a short video on how to use the rate calculator.

Watch this short video to learn how to use the rate calculator tool.

Eligible women now pay nothing for the following services at in-network providers:

• Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus
  
• Human papillomavirus, or HPV, testing
  
• Counseling for sexually transmitted infections
  
• Counseling and screening for HIV
• Counseling and screening for interpersonal and domestic violence
  
• Breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling
  
• Well-woman visits
  
• Contraceptive methods and counseling*
•  
• This benefit change applies only to non-grandfathered plans.

*Individual commercial market products renewing on April 1 WILL offer "contraceptive methods and counseling;" they may NOT claim temporary safe harbor or religious exemption.

Health plans purchased before March 23, 2010, are called grandfathered plans. Grandfathered plans don’t have to follow the provisions in the Affordable Care Act, which is also known as federal health care reform.
 

You will receive a letter about renewing your health plan from Blue Cross, and the letter notifies you if you have a grandfathered plan. Or you can check our rate calculator tool to see if you have a grandfathered plan: Grandfathered plans appear in red text in the rate calculator. Watch a short video on how to use the rate calculator.

You may also talk to your agent for help or contact a Blue Cross representative.

You may choose the Aware® network, Blue Performance Regional network or Blue Performance Enhanced network.

To help you find the network that’s right for you, choose the statement that fits you best below.

Providers are placed into tiers depending on their cost of care — not on quality. Lower-cost providers are in Tier 1, and higher-cost providers are in Tier 2.

Search the Aware network
Search the Blue Performance Regional network
Search the Blue Performance Enhanced network  

Call customer service at the number on the back of your member ID card.
 

If you choose the Aware network, you would use the “Select” pharmacy network.

If you choose a Blue Performance network, you would use the “RxNetwork A” pharmacy network. It does not include Walgreen’s as an in-network pharmacy.